Marie is a HR Leader who is focussed on growing authentic leadership and maximising the possibility within people.
What did Marie say about Michelle after attending her Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass?
“I loved the structure. It was well presented and flowed beautifully. You could see how important our success was to Michelle. I loved Michelle’s energy and her belief and confidence in me.”
What kind of presenting do you do at work?
I think presenting happens all the time. At work, it will be in front of Senior Leaders, team meetings, and updates. In other contexts I can even find myself presenting myself or my ideas in a mini pitch.
What prompted you to attend Michelle’s Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass?
We had been enrolled as a work team and I was mortified about the prospect of standing in front of my peers to learn to present. I have to admit that I was not keen to attend. I am glad to say that I was WRONG! Michelle made it easy to learn the art of presenting, and she helped us all get over our own fears and judgements about participating actively and enthusiastically in her presentation skills masterclass.
How did Michelle’s program change your attitude to presenting in business?
The program has given me confidence and structure. Having a range of practiced presentation skills, tips and tools feels like having a secret weapon. I know that all my colleagues who went through the program with me still refer to their notes and use the techniques. The fact that we did it as a team amplified the results.
In general, what positive outcomes have you achieved from improving your presentation skills?
I now feel more grounded in presenting and am confident to put my hand up to speak (it used to be a mental struggle). I can also have more fun and let my own presentation style shine because I am prepared and know where I am headed.
Another area which has benefited has been my writing. The persuasion skills work just as well when used in spoken presentations, and individual conversations and also in emails or reports. Being able to present persuasively is brilliant for change management. It is amazing how the skills Michelle teaches become second nature when practiced.
The big change for me was challenging myself to hold workshops on authentic leadership and leading from the heart. I can now focus on the content of the workshop, instead of worrying about the presenting element.
In what specific ways have your presentation skills improved since completing Michelle’s training?
I needed to present to our executive management team shortly after the masterclass. Whilst I had used the training program to practice my speech and felt confident delivering it, some of the things that I thought I paced well were not accepted. A colleague who did the course asked me to go through the steps to see what I could have done differently… Aha! I was proposing a lot of change to a conservative audience. I needed a lot more of what Michelle calls ‘pacing’ (possibly over a longer period of time). Valuable lesson learnt.
I now also find myself spending more time planning the message instead of letting the PowerPoint presentation drive the agenda. I feel very comfortable presenting with very few or no slides.
What were your top take aways from Michelle’s program?
- Use what you learn – practice it, share it with others.
- Use ‘because’ instead of ‘but’ to persuade – it is like a magic trick.
- Use both your actions and words to make an impact.
- Use pauses. If you have read this far and have not done the masterclass yet, I highly recommend it. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can use it to make your life better!